Sayth the Phesycyan whan he hath his rewarde Abyde a whyle tyll I my bokes ouer se Wherby I may relyue thy paynes harde Than from the pacyent homewarde departyth he To se his bokes but if the pacyent dye In that meane space the medycyne is to late So may he lay it to his owne folysshe pate The speculacion sholde he before haue sene For that in Phesyke is chefe and pryncypall, Yet many ar that vse the craft I wene Whiche of the cunnynge knowe lytell or nought at all A herbe or wede that groweth vpon a wall Beryth in it these folys medycyne. None other bokes haue they nor doctryne Nor none they rede to haue the true scyence Or perfyte knowlege and grounde of medycyne They rede no volumes of the experyence Of Podalirius nor Mesues doctryne Suche folys disdayne theyr myndes to enclyne Unto the doctryne of bokes of Auycen Of ypocras and parfyte galyen But all the substance of theyr blynde faculte They take in bokes that speke of herbes only Without respect had to theyr properte Or operacion so often they them aply To fals doctrynes, but first and specyally These olde wyues therwith wyll haue to do Thoughe they nought knowe that doth belonge therto They dare be bolde to take on them the cure Of them diseasyd howe be it that they nat can Suche thynge descerne as longyth to nature What is for woman good, and what for man So oft they ende moche wors than they began That the pore pacyent is so brought to his graue Yet dyuers suters suche folysshe wytches haue Suche wytches boldly dare afferme and say That with one herbe they hele can euery sore Under euery syne plenete, houre and day Yet besyde this they boldly dare say more That it that helyth a man aged and hore Shall helpe also a woman or a childe Thus many thousandes oft ar by them begyled They say also in this our charge or cure What nedes it note the synes or fyrmament The cause of thynges, or the strength of nature Whether that the seke be stronge or impotent They gyue one medesyn to euery pacyent And if it fortune it be to colde or warme The faythles wytche in hande goth with hir scharme Say folysshe Surgyan by what experyence Or whose Doctryne discyplyne or lore Takest thou on the, nought knowynge of scyence With one Salue or plaster, to heale euery sore Yet so thou thynkest, I the compare therfore Unto a lawyer that of his craft nought can And yet presumeth to counsell euery man A lawer and a Phesician ar both lyke Of theyr condicion and both insue one trayne The one begylyth the pacyent and seke Takynge his god for to encreas his payne The other labours and cauteles oft doth fayne To clawe the coyne by craft from his clyent Castynge hym of whan all his good is spent